LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The off-field discussion was more noteworthy than the on-field discussion during Mark Stoops’ news conference to preview the season-opening football game the University of Kentucky will play against Louisiana-Monroe at Kroger Field.
That’s not simply because ULM has lost 11 straight and was outscored 420-163 during an 0-10 season last year. Stoops also talked about his six players whose burglary case moved to a grand jury in Lexington last week. The six players were not listed on the two-deep depth chart that Kentucky released for Saturday’s game.
“You have to trust the system,” Stoops said. “That gets hard.”
Beyond the six players, two members of Stoops’ staff also made headlines for off-field issues, and on Monday, Stoops said that reserve offensive lineman Naasir Watkins has been suspended for the first four games.
To his credit, at least this time Stoops didn’t call the problems issues a “hiccup,” the flippant term that he used last week during a public event in Louisville.
Stoops said he asked Edwin Chandler and Denny Butler, a former Louisville Metro Police detective, to speak to his team this summer. In 2012, Chandler won an $8.5 million settlement from Louisville Metro Government when he was exonerated after serving nine years for a murder conviction that was overturned.
“It’s not always personal,” Stoops said. “There’s flaws in the system at times. We have to trust the system and we will.”
Asked if he planned to bring any of the six players back to the team, Stoops said, “I want to.”
Kentucky should roll Saturday. The Wildcats are favored by 29 1/2 points. Stoops was encouraged that his players have exceeded the 85% vaccination rate for COVID-19.
ULM has not won since it defeated Coastal Carolina, 45-42, on Nov. 23, 2019. ULM gave up 170 points in its final three games against Georgia Southern, Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas State last season. The Warhawks changed coaches after last season, recruiting former Auburn coach Terry Bowden, who worked as an offensive analyst for Dabo Swinney at Clemson the last two seasons.
Make note of this name, too. ULM’s offensive will be directed by Rich Rodriguez, who did a terrific job at West Virginia but was fired by Michigan and Arizona.
Rodriguez’s son, Rhett, also transferred in to play quarterback for the Warhawks.
But Rodriguez is not the quarterback people will be talking about Saturday. That will be Will Levis, the Penn State transfer who won the UK job and will run the new offense installed by offensive coordinator Liam Cohen. Stoops remains relentlessly upbeat about Levis — and not simply because of his ability to throw. Stoops praised Levis’ strong leadership skills.
“He’s very authentic,” Stoops said. “He handles himself like a grown man.”
In two seasons at Penn State, Levis completed about 60% of his throws for three touchdowns and two interceptions. He threw for 219 yards against Nebraska last season and then completed 13-16 throws against Iowa for 106 yards. Levis made only eight more passing attempts in Penn State’s final four games.
Stoops said his biggest concern is the same as it is before every opener.
“Players want to do too much,” he said. “Every (offensive) play is a touchdown. Every (defensive) play is a sack. Players always want to do too much early.”
After playing all 10 regular season games against Southeastern Conference opponents last season, Stoops said that he was comfortable not opening at Auburn.
“To open up at home, against a non-SEC school, is good,” he said.
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